Smith's Bible Dictionary

Smith, William

A classic reference, this comprehensive Bible dictionary provides a wealth of basic background information. It includes more than 400 illustrations and special articles in addition to page after page of basic information.

Luke

Luke (light-giving), or Lu’cas, is an abbreviated form of Lucanus. It is not to be confounded with Lucius, Acts 13:1; Rom. 16:21, which belongs to a different person. The name Luke occurs three times in the New Testament—Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Phil. 24—and probably in all three the third evangelist is the person spoken of. Combining the traditional element with the scriptural, we are able to trace the following dim outline of the evangelist’s life: He was born at Antioch in Syria, and was taught the science of medicine. The well-known tradition that Luke was also a painter, and of no mean skill, rests on the authority of late writers. He was not born a Jew, for he is not reckoned among those “of the circumcision” by St. Paul. Comp. Col. 4:11 with ver. 14. The date of his conversion is uncertain. He joined St. Paul at Troas, and shared his journey into Macedonia. The sudden transition to the first person plural in Acts 16:9 is most naturally explained, after all the objections that have been urged, by supposing that Luke, the writer of the Acts, formed one of St. Paul’s company from this point. As far as Philippi the evangelist journeyed with the apostle. The resumption of the third person on Paul’s departure from that place, Acts 17:1, would show that Luke was now left behind. During the rest of St. Paul’s second missionary journey we hear of Luke no more; but on the third journey the same indication reminds us that Luke is again of the company, Acts 20:5, having joined it apparently at Philippi, where he had been left. With the apostle he passed through Miletus, Tyre, and Cæsarea to Jerusalem. ch. 20:5; 21:18. As to his age and death there is the utmost uncertainty. He probably died a martyr, between a.d. 75 and a.d. 100. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name, and also the book of Acts.